Chapter 619: Great Brahma King Buddha

Cool breezes swept through Amitabha Temple. From the mountaintop, the Buddhas gazed at the distant cliffs that had been carved out by an attack. Dharma King Molun had intended to raise a hand to stop the fight, but it was already over. Qin Mu's hands moved so rapidly with his Yin-Yang Heaven-Overturning Hand that by the time Molun thought of intervening, Qin Mu had already ceased, forcing the Dharma King to lower his hand. Buddhas from other heavens showed surprise, withdrawing their gazes to look at Qin Mu.

The Human Emperor's Yin-Yang Heaven-Overturning Hand was indeed a heaven-defying divine ability. Its explosive speed was dazzling, leaving no time for a reaction. The hand seals Qin Mu had just unleashed were truly faster than turning the pages of a book!

Suddenly, the cliff tens of miles away collapsed. The rock face split, and huge boulders fell, taking a long time to hit the ground with dull thuds. Qin Mu had struck too quickly and fiercely; what was previously a mountain peak had been directly pulverized into a cliff by him. The current collapse of the cliff was due to the rocks having been softened by Qin Mu's Yin-Yang Heaven-Overturning Hand. However, despite the cliff's collapse, Moonlight Prince did not appear.

Monk Mingxin felt uneasy and whispered to Qin Mu, "Senior Brother Qin, did you kill him?"

"No, he's not dead," Qin Mu whispered. "I held back; it might be difficult to explain otherwise. His cultivation is very strong, not weaker than the Exalted One of Loulan Golden Palace, just not as quick-witted. So I used about eighty percent of my strength and didn't kill him, though his bones are mostly broken. This Moonlight Prince is truly powerful; I wouldn't dare underestimate the heroes of the world." He showed admiration.

Monk Mingxin's eyes widened. "Eighty percent strength? Not daring to underestimate the heroes of the world? Sect Master Qin, when you act humble, you can infuriate people to death without having to pay for it. Fortunately, Moonlight Prince is unconscious, otherwise he'd be furious enough to lose his wits."

Little did he know, Qin Mu was genuinely being humble, not putting on an act. After all, Qin Mu was immensely proud deep down, convinced he possessed a Hegemon Body. For an opponent to be able to match his Hegemon Body, they must have put in immense effort, cultivating painstakingly for an unknown period to reach such a level. Such an opponent naturally deserved respect. As for what others thought, he cared little; that was simply his perspective.

Dharma King Molun beckoned, and the cliff tens of miles away exploded open. Moonlight Prince, severely injured and unconscious within the cliff, was gently lifted by Molun's magic and slowly floated towards them. Moonlight Prince landed. Dharma King Molun examined his injuries, his expression slightly darkened. "Wasn't Lay Buddhist Qin going to compete in swordsmanship? Why did he use hand seals instead? This smacks of a sneak attack! And to strike with such viciousness, is this the compassionate style of our Buddhist sect?"

Qin Mu looked at Mingxin. Monk Mingxin hurriedly explained, "Senior Brother Qin used his sword pellet earlier, and he was accused of practicing heretical methods, so he didn't dare to use it again, resorting to hand seals instead. Venerable Buddha, are these hand seals also considered heretical methods?"

Dharma King Molun did not answer. It was he who had labeled Qin Mu's sword pellet technique as heretical, yet Moonlight Prince had insisted on competing in swordsmanship with Qin Mu. The hand seals Qin Mu used this time were upright and proper; the Yin-Yang Heaven-Overturning Hand was clearly an orthodox technique. To call it a heretical method would be ridiculous. Nevertheless, he still felt displeased. Moonlight Prince was his descendant, an outstanding figure among his juniors, yet he hadn't even had the chance to display his abilities before being caught off guard by Qin Mu, enduring a beating throughout, and causing both Molun and the Heavenly Court to lose face. Moonlight's strength was not weak; it was simply a miscalculation. He had assumed Qin Mu was greeting him and hadn't prepared to defend. Had Moonlight Prince been fully alert from the start, considering Qin Mu's displayed power, it would be difficult to say who would have emerged victorious.

Dharma King Molun looked at the Buddhas from the other heavens and smiled. "Although the Buddhist sect in the lower realm occupies a remote corner, their Buddhist Dharma and divine abilities have not fallen behind, which is truly admirable. Venerable Seniors, they have come to seek knowledge and scriptures. Why not grant them what they seek?"

The Buddhas nodded in agreement.

Dharma King Molun smiled at Qin Mu and the others. "My Moon Palace Heavenly Treasure contains the Moon Palace Sutras, which are true Buddhist teachings. There are three thousand volumes of Buddhist scriptures in the Moon Palace Sutras. You cannot take them with you, so you may stay at my Amitabha Temple to study them diligently for a hundred years or so. Once you have thoroughly comprehended them, you can transmit the Dharma to the lower realm, which would also be a great meritorious deed for me."

Monk Mingxin's expression subtly changed. Three thousand volumes of Buddhist scriptures, a hundred years of study, and practices of a true Buddha—it was clearly a plan to hold them under house arrest for a century!

Qin Mu boldly retorted, "Does our Buddha have the Imperial Throne Sutra? If you transmit Dharma, transmit true Dharma; if you transmit scriptures, transmit true scriptures. We have common teachings in our Great Thunderclap Temple too."

Dharma King Molun's face darkened slightly, and he sneered, "Are you belittling my Moon Palace Sutras? How rude! It is already an act of compassion for me to grant you Buddhist Dharma without charging you a single penny for incense. Yet you are still being picky!"

Monk Mingxin nudged the motionless Ape King, Zhan Kong. The Ape King took a step forward, his Vajra Staff clattering, and said, "More, fake. Less, true!"

Dharma King Molun was startled, thinking the Ape King intended to debate Dharma with him. Pondering the meaning of those four words, he couldn't help but feel a headache.

Guizimu King Buddha coughed and said, "Dharma King, they have come for the true scriptures. Just give them to them."

Dharma King Molun sneered, "They came for the true Imperial Throne Sutra. How could I have it? Even Sakra Devanam King Buddha doesn't possess the true Imperial Throne Sutra; only Mahabrahma King Buddha has a copy. Mahabrahma King Buddha has always been aloof from worldly affairs, rarely appearing even once in tens of thousands of years. I have been in the Buddhist Realm for so many years and have never seen Mahabrahma King Buddha's true form, let alone the true Imperial Throne Sutra! To give them my Moon Palace Sutras, without charging a single penny, is already a great bargain for them..."

What he said was indeed the truth, leaving no room for rebuttal. The Heavenly Court had been observing the Buddhist Realm for many years. Although the Buddhist Realm was nominally under the Heavenly Court's jurisdiction, the Heavenly Court had never managed to obtain the supreme scripture of the Buddhist Realm, the Mahabrahma King Buddha Sutra. The Heavenly Court had more or less acquired scriptures from other heavens and had inserted disciples into various realms to become Buddhist children, practicing Buddhist Dharma. These heavens were no secret to the Heavenly Court, but Mahabrahma was an exception. Mahabrahma King Buddha rarely appeared and did not transmit scriptures. When Ape King Zhan Kong debated Dharma, the Buddhist child of Mahabrahma, who was a disciple of an ancient Buddha under Mahabrahma King Buddha, also debated with the Ape King, but even this Buddhist child had not learned the true scripture.

Just then, a Buddhist chant echoed, and a monk swiftly descended to Amitabha Temple, greeting the Buddhas. "Venerable Buddhas, Mahabrahma King Buddha has sent word, permitting Buddhist children from all realms and from the lower realm to enter Mahabrahma. The Old Buddha plans to select the most outstanding among them to transmit the true scripture."

Dharma King Molun was startled, then immediately showed delight. The Heavenly Court had long coveted Mahabrahma King Buddha's cultivation techniques but had never had the opportunity to acquire them. Qin Mu, the Ape King, and Mingxin coming to seek knowledge this time presented a golden opportunity for the Heavenly Court to obtain the true Imperial Throne Sutra! Molun was not the only force the Heavenly Court had stationed in the Buddhist Realm. Nearly half of the numerous Buddhist children in the various heavens were young talents dispatched by the Heavenly Court to study in the Buddhist Realm! Moonlight Prince was merely his disciple, but the Buddhist children in the twenty heavens of the Buddhist Realm were countless. As long as Mahabrahma King Buddha was willing to transmit the Dharma, it certainly wouldn't fall into the hands of these three bumpkin monks and lay Buddhists from the lower realm; it would surely fall into the Heavenly Court's hands!

Dharma King Molun felt relieved and smiled. "In that case, let's instruct the Buddhist children from all heavens to go together to Mahabrahma to listen to the teachings. What do you venerable seniors think?"

The Buddhas from the various heavens also nodded in agreement. Mahabrahma King Buddha transmitting the Dharma was indeed a rare opportunity, occurring perhaps once in ten thousand years! For the disciples of the Buddhas to go and seek knowledge would also allow the Buddhas themselves to witness the supreme profound techniques of Buddhist Dharma! Dharma King Molun rolled up Moonlight Prince, his form vanishing into the void, disappearing and heading directly towards Mahabrahma. The other Buddhas also departed, returning to their respective heavens, taking their Buddhist children to Mahabrahma. Soon, Amitabha Temple was empty.

"How can we reach Mahabrahma?" Qin Mu was pondering this when Sakra Devanam King Buddha suddenly descended from his Dharma seat and stepped down. This King Buddha, barefoot, trod upon the ground without gathering dust. A halo of light flowed behind his head, making him appear like a young monk, with clear eyes and brows, and a gentle gaze. He looked at the three of them and smiled, "You have all practiced my fist techniques."

Qin Mu and the other two quickly bowed in greeting. The fist techniques Sakra Devanam King Buddha referred to were, in fact, the Eight Forms of Thunderclap. Qin Mu had learned the Eight Forms of Thunderclap from Grandpa Ma and passed them on to Ape King Zhan Kong. After learning them, Ape King Zhan Kong encountered the Old Buddha, who, feeling a karmic connection, simply imparted the complete Mahayana Sutra of Tathagata to him. Monk Mingxin, on the other hand, had learned the Eight Forms of Thunderclap from Old Monk Jingming, who himself hadn't learned the complete set, leaving flaws. Later, Ape King Zhan Kong led many demon monks from Lesser Thunderclap Temple to Great Thunderclap Temple for a Dharma debate. No one in Great Thunderclap Temple could match him. Monk Mingxin, hearing the news, rushed to debate with the Ape King and, though defeated, was still glorified. Grandpa Ma then imparted the complete Mahayana Sutra of Tathagata to him, thus he also received the full inheritance.

Sakra Devanam King Buddha smiled. "I also came from the lower realm and attained Buddhahood in Great Thunderclap Temple. You three and I have a karmic connection. I will take you to Mahabrahma."

Beneath his clean feet, a lotus cloud emerged, lifting the three of them. They slowly ascended, passing through vast clouds and mists, through layers of dragons and thunder, rising higher and higher, then passing through one world, then another. Qin Mu marveled, only now realizing that the twenty heavens of the Buddhist Realm were actually built around an unbelievably immense mountain. This mountain floated in the cosmic starry sky, containing mountains within mountains, and seas within mountains, complete with sun, moon, and stars. It was a world unto itself, possessing its own world barrier. And this realm was further divided into twenty worlds, twenty heavens, layered one upon another. Each layer had its own sun, moon, and stars, and each contained a continent dotted with Buddhist nations. Without Sakra Devanam King Buddha guiding them, reaching the mountain peak, even if Qin Mu and the others flew at full speed, would likely take several years!

Sakra Devanam King Buddha brought them to the topmost layer, Mahabrahma, also known as the Golden Summit, built upon the peak of this magnificent, wondrous mountain. Here, ten thousand rays of light shone, and it was eternal day, with no distinction between day and night. From within the golden clouds, mountain peaks emerged, shining with boundless golden light, sacred and solemn. The golden light formed numerous Buddhist Sanskrit characters, continuously flowing in the air, creating a wondrous spectacle of scriptures around the mountain peaks. Upon arriving, they even heard vast sounds, resonant as bell chimes, unsure if it was the sound of the Buddhist Sanskrit characters or the chanting of countless beings reaching them!

Ape King Zhan Kong couldn't help but exclaim, "Pot, bun!"

Qin Mu nodded in agreement, "Indeed, it looks like large cornmeal buns fresh from the steamer, and this golden light is like the steam rising from hot buns."

Sakra Devanam King Buddha gave a wry smile and said, "That's quite an apt metaphor, Buddhist children. That forest is where Mahabrahma King Buddha resides in seclusion. Many Buddhist children have already gone there; I will take you over."

He guided Qin Mu and the others through layers of Buddhist scriptures, flying to the center of the golden sea, landing in a forest. It was extremely serene here, with broad, flat paths, and in the center stood a seemingly small temple. Hundreds of Buddhist children had already arrived. The Buddhas who had brought them also dispersed their Buddha manifestations, appearing as monks, some ancient, some young, clearly showing great respect for Mahabrahma King Buddha.

"So many Buddhist children?" Qin Mu's heart skipped a beat, and he muttered, "How long will it take to fight our way through to see Mahabrahma King Buddha? Can we follow the Great Ruins' rules?"

Monk Mingxin and the Ape King both shivered, remembering Qin Mu's past actions, and hastily shook their heads. Mingxin quickly said, "Senior Brother Qin, by no means can we follow the Great Ruins' rules! It's too bloody and violent! This is the supreme holy land of Buddhism; we cannot act recklessly here!"

"What a pity..." Qin Mu mumbled, "If we followed the Great Ruins' rules, it would be much simpler. We could learn the true Imperial Throne Sutra after just fighting our way through. Now, it's going to be troublesome."

Sakra Devanam King Buddha asked curiously, "What are the Great Ruins' rules?"

The Ape King raised a hand and made a sweeping gesture across his own neck, then grabbed his neck with both hands and mimed twisting it off.